New day center opens for business in Eureka; local foundation seeks volunteers to help change lives

The Betty Kwan Chinn Day Center officially opened its doors Monday, providing the area's poor and homeless with a single point of access to a host of programs.

"We're going to be a kind of front door, opening up to the array of services that already exists in Eureka," explained Jennielynn Holmes, the director of shelter and housing services for Catholic Charities.

By noon Monday, about 20 people had been through the center's intake process, filling out forms and meeting one-on-one with a volunteer or staff member, taking the first step in what organizers hope will be a life-changing journey. The goal of the center is to bring as many services, volunteers and programs as possible together under one roof, providing a single point of entry for people looking for help to change their lives.

A project of the Betty Kwan Chinn Foundation and its founder and namesake, Betty Chinn, the day center is opening in a scaled back form with the goal of hitting full stride in January, when it will offer additional services and bring more partners into the fold.

The foundation has contracted with Catholic Charities -- which runs a day center and shelter in Santa Rosa -- to provide the center's programming, which includes its intake process, life skills workshops and employment training courses. The center's $220,000 operating budget comes entirely from funds raised in the local community and several grants, with the bulk going to Catholic Charities in exchange for providing the center's two paid staff members, administering the programming and writing grant applications, according to former Eureka City Manager David Tyson, who serves as the foundation's treasurer.

Tyson said the foundation is solely responsible for raising all the money needed to operate the center.

Holmes said clients who come into the center will first be asked to fill out a thorough assessment form, which asks for basic identifying information as well as things like how long they've been homeless, where they are from, what their incomes are and what services they are looking to access.

"It's basically a quick assessment of their needs," Holmes said, adding that the demographic information will also be pooled to create data detailing who the center is serving for quarterly reports to the Eureka City Council and the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors.

Once the center staff has an idea of what a client needs, they can direct them to the appropriate services. Holmes and Chinn said the center will offer itself as a messaging center for its clients, giving them a mailing address and a phone number for prospective employers, landlords and more. The center also boasts a full computer lab, where Holmes said clients can search for jobs and housing, set up email accounts to connect with family, and more.

Holmes said the center will also offer a Coach-to-Career program, a seven-week employment readiness workshop that, complete with a 72-page workbook, teaches clients how to write resumes and cover letters, and walks them through mock job interviews. A version of the program in Santa Rosa found 76 percent of its graduates found employment within six months of completing the program, Holmes said.

"We're hoping to replicate that here," she said.

The center also has an interview clothing closet that features a variety of job-interview-appropriate clothing to help clients clean up and make the most of any opportunities that come their way.

Chinn said she is perhaps most excited about the children's programs the center will be rolling out through a partnership with Humboldt State University in January, when it will offer before- and after-school programs. The before-school program will give kids a chance to clean up and get ready for school in a positive, safe environment, Chinn said, while kids coming to the center after school will find tutors to help with their homework and other enrichment activities. Eventually, Chinn and Holmes hope the center will offer programs for pre-school aged kids during the day in conjunction with parenting classes with the hopes they will help "break the cycle" for homeless kids.

Open Door Community Health Centers' Mobile Medical van will also be coming to the center on Mondays, Holmes said, and Homeless Court will be held at the center the last Friday of every month.

Holmes said the center is also looking for a host of volunteers to help make the ultimate vision a reality. Specifically, she said the center needs volunteers to do client intake work and reception, supervise the computer lab, tutor children, help adults work toward their GEDs, partner with clients to help them connect with community resources and teach life-skills courses.

And, ultimately, Chinn's foundation has even bigger plans.

"We want to look at housing and shelter -- the whole spectrum of services," Tyson said.

But, Chinn said, they are taking things one step at a time. And, ultimately, what the center provides will be contingent upon what the local community is willing to give, both in dollars and in volunteer hours.

Sitting in the conference room of a building renovated entirely with donated funds, materials and services, Holmes said the outpouring of support for the center has been amazing. She expects it to continue, with folks coming forward to volunteer their services and share their passions.

"This place will be where the community comes together to help lift up the people who have been less fortunate," Holmes said.

Get involved:

For more information on the center or how to donate, visit www.bettychinn.org or call the Betty Kwan Chinn Day Center at 407-3833.